Category Archives: Diversions

Before Anna Paquin, Lucy Lawless and Russell Crowe, this gentleman was probably the most famous actor from New Zealand for two decades. Admittedly, playing Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict wasn’t a terrific start but he hit my personal radar … Continue reading →

Two words Denis! Merry F-ing Birthday! Thumbs up to one of the few Massholes I can stand. It’s funny when he does his angry Bostonian routine because it isn’t directed at me and he doesn’t have the thick, obnoxious accent; … Continue reading →

The best version of Flash Gordon will always be the 1980 production starring Max von Sydow as Emperor Ming the Merciless with Queen’s thunderous score. I think this horrible, cheap-ass, Wal-Mart version on the Sci Fi Channel will eliminate any further … Continue reading →

This guy is the quintessential cowboy to me. However, I think he’s cool playing other roles because his deep voice definitely implies Elliott’s characters are dudes you don’t mess with. Even if it’s a lame movie such as The Big Lebowski … Continue reading →

Garrison is definitely an acquired taste. I’d say he’s in the same vein as Bob Newhart or Gary Shandling with his low-key, odd delivery of jokes. I remember him joking about his quiet, monotone causing people to fall asleep at … Continue reading →

“Balance of Terror” is one of Star Trek‘s best episodes even if it’s just a WWII submarine chase in space with dated special effects. It holds up because the plot and execution were solid. Recently Viacom has been cleaning up, re-digitizing … Continue reading →

NPR didn’t make the announcement until the second cycle of stories but it was sad news to hear. I didn’t know he was sick, I figured he was still hosting some kind of show on cable. Besides being the butt … Continue reading →

Bugs is looking pretty good for his age even if I can’t think of any new cartoons he’s in. I think there have been some toys (I have the “What’s Opera Doc?” action figure) but I’ll probably have to wait … Continue reading →

How fitting that this weekend had back-to-back birthdays of two major comedians on The Simpsons who ad lib their lines; this causes the writers and artists to engineer the episodes around them. It works since Albert Brooks is pretty darned funny, … Continue reading →

So his post-SNL career hasn’t been fantastic, but that’s the fate for most from the rather unfunny, strained show. I always loved The Critic even if its subject matter was focused on ridiculing movies; it was really about Jay Sherman’s misadventures … Continue reading →

A landmark birthday for the Cos, one of the most famous and (my personal) favorite celebrities of Philly. His career lately has been waning and the last decade were rather trying on him but while growing up, Cosby was a … Continue reading →

What a bummer. The place I consider my childhood hometown came in second place! I have always felt that Springfield, IL fit the mindset of the show despite it lacking key geographic features: mountains, a desert, a pier and a clearly … Continue reading →

Somara said today was the 50th anniversary of this great cartoon’s first public showing, probably as the cartoon that accompanied a feature movie back then. Sadly, more reliable sources (namely imdb.com) contradict wherever she received the claim from. Either way, … Continue reading →

Everyone will always remember her as the voice of Lisa Simpson and it’ll probably be on her tombstone. If you go to imdb.com, you’ll see her larger body of work outside of Fox (Herman’s Head quickly came to mind). I … Continue reading →

There’s a special place in Austin’s heart for Berkeley Breathed. The comic that became Bloom County originated here as Academia Waltz in UT’s newspaper in the late Seventies. Old strips he did for The Daily Texan are reprinted from time to time and … Continue reading →